Tony Abbott Slams UN Report Saying Australia 'Breached' International Convention On Torture

Australian Prime Minister Tony Abbott has slammed the United Nations following the release of a UN report calling the country’s treatment of asylum seekers as a “breach” of international law. Mr Abbott has rejected the allegations and said UN representatives should give the Australian government some credit.

The prime minister told reporters that Australians have grown “sick and tired” of getting lectures from the UN particularly after Australia has stopped the boats. Mr Abbott reiterated that the most decent and humanitarian thing to do when it comes to asylum seekers was to stop the boats.

He denied claims of poor conditions in asylum seeker detention centres and said the facilities in Manus Island were “reasonable.” Mr Abbott said the basic needs of all people on Manus Island such as food, shelter, clothing and safety continue to be met.

A report prepared by Professor Juan Mendez, the UN special rapporteur on torture, will be presented in Geneva at the UN Human Rights Council. The professor found that Australia had failed to provide adequate conditions for asylum seekers. He also recommended the end of detention for children, AAP reports.

Mendez called on the Australian government to put a stop to the violence in the Australian-run detention centre in Manus Island. According to Human Rights Law Centre director Daniel Webb, Australia was found to have breached the international convention to “cruel, inhuman and degrading treatment.”

Webb added that Australia violated the international agreement it signed years ago. He said the report condemned the country’s indefinite detention of asylum seekers. He expressed hopes that the report would be a “real wake-up call” for Australia.

Mr Abbott said the UN may have missed the fact that the government had prevented the deaths of asylum seekers at sea by stopping the boats. He added that the UN should recognise the successes of the government.

The details of the UN report were revealed following news about Australia’s move to replace its controversial orange lifeboats currently being used to send back asylum seekers. The Guardian reports that Australia has signed a multi-million dollar deal with Vietnam to purchase 10 custom-made vessels similar to Asian fishing boats.

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